Paucity of ice bars in water-starved Thoothukudi has forced many boat operators to rely on Kerala to preserve their catch. Ice manufacturing industry in the district has suffered a drastic fall in production owing to water shortage. With just one borewell earmarked by the district administration for pumping water, it can hardly cater to the needs of the boat operators, G. Arulraja, president, Thoothukudi Ice Plant Owners Association, told The Hindu here on Sunday. Since the lone borewell is insufficient to draw water, most of the plant owners are relying on tanker lorries for their water requirements. Capitalising on the situation, water sourced locally from other borewells are being sold at a premium price. A load of 10,000 litres of water is being sold at Rs.1,000 against the normal price of Rs.500. Moreover, the 27 ice plant owners cannot rely on the sole borewell, as it take more time their turn to draw water. Since the fish catch is unpredictable, the boat operators are wary of buying ice bars. But taking cognisance of the situation here, several Thoothukudi-bound seafood traders from Kerala are now bringing ice bars all the way from Kerala, he said. According to M. Santhanam, one of the ice plant owners at Boopalarayapuram, production of ice bars has shrunk from 800 bars a day to 300 bars due to higher cost on water. A large mechanised fishing boat normally requires 30 to 50 ice bars and a small boat about 10 to 15 such bars to maintain freshness in netted fishes. Only the rain god can save us, and we are keeping our fingers crossed, Mr. Santhanam said. About seven to eight loads, each weighing 350 bars, are being procured from Kerala to meet the requirements of boat operators here, he added. Around 10,000 ice bars are required to be loaded on to a fleet of 240 mechanised boats being moored along the wharf of Thoothukudi fishing harbour for every fishing day, Dharmapitchai, president, Thoothukudi Mechanised Boat Fishermen Labourers Association, pointed out. At present, there is a shortfall of 2,000 ice bars, which are being procured from neighbouring Kerala. Unlike other coastal districts, the fishing fleet in Thoothukudi has been consuming a huge volume of ice bars to keep the seafood fresh since it is also catering to the export market, he said.